Corn-binder.



O. E. TOWNSEND.

CORN BINDER. APPLICATION FILED SBPT.17,1912.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ill J) 7217 a'mvemtoz IIIL hORR/S PETERS CO PHoToLiTI/O, WASHINGTON D l:

'0. E. TOWNSEND.

CORN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1'1, 1912.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 THE NORRIS PETERS c0 -LITHO. WASHINGTON, u. u.

G. E. TOWNSEND.

CORN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17,1912.

Patented Aug. 18, 191i 3 SHEBTSSHEBT 3.

CHARLES E. TOWNSEND, 0F LEBANON, NEBRASKA.

CORN-BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed September 17, 1912. Serial No. 720,815.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. TowN- SEND, citizen of the United States,residing near Lebanon, in the county of Redwillow and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn- Binders, ofwhich the following is a specltication.

This invention relates to an improvement in corn binders.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for supportingthe corn stalks as they are fed to the binding mechanism which willaccommodate itself to stalks which vary in length and thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stalk supportingmechanism which may be adjusted into and out of the path of the stalksduring their travel toward the binding mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which will supportthe stalks from both sides of the conveying mechanism and at dilferentpoints throughout their lengths.

A still further object of the invention is to provide resilientsupporting means the tension of which may be regulated.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn binder of theMcCormick type, Fig. 2 a top plan view of the upper stalk deflectingmembers; Fig. 3 a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing thearrangement of the resilient stalk supports which are secured to theunder face of the supporting members for the conveying chains; Fig. 4 isa section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a section taken on theline 55 of Fig. 3; Fi 6 a detail view of one of the brackets whichsupport the upper set of deflecting members; Fig. 7 a perspective view,the shocker being shown in dotted lines.

In the drawings 10 designates a corn binder of the McCormick type whichincludes the spaced chain supports 11 and the deflectors or guide bars12 which are supported in superposed relation with respect to the chainsupports. It has been found in practice that when the guide bars andchain supports which coact to deflect the stalks toward the shockingmechanism are set in fixed spaced relation, the same will only supportstalks which are of certain length and diameter. That is. when longstalks are fed between the guides, the stalks being slender or top-heavywill not be supported in the proper vertical position to be received bythe binding mechanism. The present invention, therefore, contemplatesmeans which will resiliently engage the stalks to support them duringtheir travel toward the binding mechanism, the supporting means beingadjustable in order that they may accommodate themselves to stalks whichvary in thickness and in length.

The guide bars 12, which are supported at an angle with respect to thechain supports, are dis osed to contact with the upper portions 0 thestalks as they are fed toward the binding mechanism 13 by the chains 14.A slotted bar 15 is secured to each of the guide bars 12, said bars 15being connected to the bars 12 by means of brackets 16, the off-setportions 17 of which are secured to the bars 16, the olf-set portions 18of said brackets being disposed at such angle that the bars 15 aresupported at an angle with respect to the bars 12, the edges of the bars15 being disposed at right angles to the stalks as they are fed by meansof the chains 14. The bars 15 support blocks 20, bolts 21 passingthrough the slots in said bars. These bolts extend through the blocks, acurved stalk supporting spring 22 being coiled about each bolt 21adjacent one of its terminals. A sleeve 29 is supported by the bolt, thecoil spring embracing said sleeve. The terminal 24 of the spring extendswithin an opening formed in the block 20, the block being provided witha plurality of openings, the terminals thus being adjustable withrespect to the block to cause the contacting portion 25 to extend in thepath of the stalks. The spring in this manner is regulated toaccommodate stalks of different thicknesses.

The bolt 21 receives a nut 26, a plate 27 being interposed between saidnut and the spring, the nut maintaining the head 28 in contact with theface of the bar 15 remote from the block, there being a washer 28interposed between said head and the face of the bar. It will be notedthat by loosening the nut the washer will be brought out of bindingcontact with the bar and the block may be moved longitudinally of thebar, being guided in its movement by the ofi'-sets 20 and 20, the stalksupports in this manner being adjustable longitudinally of the bar. Thusthe stalk supports may be supported at any convenient point throughoutthe length of the bar resiliently engaging the stalks and holding thesame in contact with the stalk directing memhere, the stalk supports ofthe two bars being preferably disposed in staggered re lation. It willbe noted that in practice any number of stalk supports may be supportedby the bars consistent with the By this construction,

length of the bars. the upper portions of the stalks are effectuallysupported regardless of their thickness and they may be conveyed to thebinding mechanism in a vertical position.

A bar is supported 011 the under face of the right-hand chain support11, this support being disposed on the side of the machine remote fromthe drivers seat. This bar is slotted for the greater portion of itslength, the terminal 31 of the bar being reduced in thickness anddisposed at an angle with respect to the bar. A supporting link 32issecured to the terminal 31 of the bar 30, said link being providedwith a plurality of apertures 33', a bolt 34 extending through toreceive the plate 45.

oneofsaidapertures,saidboltpassingthrough the vertical standard 35 whichsupports the chain supporting member 11, the plate 32 in this mannerbeing adjustable with respect to the member 11. This plate is ad-'justed when it is desired to adjust the bar 30 to accommodate stalkswhich vary in length. The plate is provided with one or more blocks 86which, support the curved resilient members 37, said members beingadjustable on said blocks as are the stalk supporting members 22 of theupper supports. The terminal 38 of the bar 30 remote from the terminal81 is cut on an angle and supports a plate 39. This plate is formed witha looped extension 4(ywhich embraces the bar 41 of the frame of theshocker. A set screw 42 passes through said plate permitting the bar 30to be adjusted with respect to the supporting bar 40 to compensate forthe adjustment which is secured by means of the plate 32. It will benoted that the bar 30 is adjustable vertically with respect to'the frameof the shocker.

A bar 48, which is substantially of the same construction as the bar 30with the exception of its terminals, which will be hereinafterdescribed, is supported by the chain support 11 on the left-hand side ofthe machine adjacent the drivers seat. The terminal 44 of this bar iscut at an angle The terminal 46 of this plate is offset and apertured toreceive .the bolt 47, the bolt 47 passing through the supporting link 48which is supported by the vertically extending support 35, said link 48being provided with a plurality of apertures in order that the terminal44 of I the bar may be adjusted withrespect to the frame. The terminal49 of the bar 43 is provided with'a plate 50, the terminal 51 of whichis provided with a plurality of apertures, a bolt 52 passing throughsaid apertures and extending within the portion 52 of the frame.

The bar 43 is provided with guides 53 which embrace an apertured bar 54,supporting the same in sliding relation with respect to the bar 43.' Aplate 56 is secured to-the bar 43, said plate pivotally supporting alever 57, the plate being cut-away at 58 and provided with teeth whichreceive the latch member 41 which is supported by the lever 57. The bar54 is provided with a rack 59 with which the toothed terminal 60 of thelever 57 engages, the lever 57 being moved on its pivot to reciprocatethe sliding bar 54. A bolt 61 passes through the slot 62 formed in thebar 4-4, there being a washer 63 disposed between the head 64 of saidbolt and the under face of said bar. This bolt supports the curvedresilient member 65, said member adjacent its terminal being coiledabout the sleeve 66 which is supported on the bolt, the terminal 67being disposed to enter the aperture in the sliding bar 54. It will beseen that by swinging the lever 57 on its pivot the deflector may bemoved into and out of the path of the stalks as the same are fed betweenthe chain. supporting members.

-From the foregoing it will be noted that two pairs of supportingmembers are arranged in superposed relation, one pair being supported bythe upper deflecting bars of the shocker and the other pair being supported by the chain supports. The upper pair of supports is providedwith stalk sup ports which are adjustable longitudinally andtransversely of the supports, the supports in this manner being adjustedto compensate for variation in the length and thickness of the stalks.The lower supporting members are adjustable vertically of the shockerframe to compensate for variation in the length of the stalks, thedeflecting members which are arranged on said supports being adjustablelongitudinally as well as transversely of the supports.

' Having described the invention, what I I claim is:

1, A corn binder including superposed supporting members arranged inpairs, the lower pair of members carrying stalk conveying means, saidmembers being spaced to form a stalk passage therebetween, and stalksupports arranged on said members,

said supports being capable of adjustment longitudinally of the supportsand an ad justment whereby the angle at which they are disposed withrespect to the supports may be changed.

2. A corn binder including chain supports, stalk directing membersarranged above said chain supports, said stalk directing members andsaid chain supports being spaced to form a stalk passage therebetween,and resilient stalk engaging means disposed in staggered relation anddisposed upon the chain supports and the stalk directing members, saidmembers being capable. of longitudinal and angular adjustment.

3. A corn binder including chain supports, stalk directing membersarranged above said chain supports, said stalk directing members andsaid chain supports being spaced to form a stalk passage therebetween,bars supported at an angle with respect to the stalk directing members,said bars being disposed at right angles to the stalks in their line oftravel, the bars being slotted, blocks arranged on said bars, boltspassing through each of said blocks, a sleeve arranged on each of saidbolts, a stalk supporting member consisting of a resilient strand, oneterminal of which projects in the path of the stalks which are fedbetween the stalk directing members, said stalk supporting member beingcoiled about said sleeve adjacent its other terminal, said terminalbeing disposed to extend within an aperture formed in the-block, and anut arranged on said bolt and disposed to maintain said stalk supportingmember against movement transversely of the bars.

4. A corn binder including chain supports, bars supported for verticaladjustment on the under face of said chain sup ports, said chainsupports being spaced to form a stalk passage therebetween, resilientstalk engaging members supported by said bars, guides carried by one ofsaid bars, a plate supported by said bar, a lever pivotally supported bysaid plate, one terminal of said lever being formed with teeth, anapertured bar slidably supported within said guides, said apertured barbeing formed with teeth which are disposed to be engaged by the teeth ofsaid lever, and a connection between said sliding bar and the stalksupporting member whereby angular adjustment of the stalk supportingmember may be secured by imparting longitudinal movement to the slidingbar.

' 5. A corn binder including chain supports, bars supported on the underfaces of said chain supports, said chain supports being spaced to form astalk passage, resilient stalk engaging members pivotally supported bysaid bars, guides supported by one of the bars, an apertured barslidably supported within said guides, means for moving said barlongitudinally of the bar which supports the same, the terminals of theresilient stalk engaging member which is carried by said supporting barextending within one of the apertures formed in said sliding bar, themovement of said sliding bar with respect to its supporting bar causinga movement of said stalk engaging member about its pivot to project saidmember into the path of the stalks.

6. A corn binder including chain supports, stalk directing arms arrangedin spaced relation between the chain supports, said chain supports beingspaced to form a stalk passage between the stalk directing arms, slottedbars supported on the under face of said chain supports, said bars beingcapable of vertical movement, resilient stalk supporting members carriedby said bars, and means carried by each of the bars for moving eachstalk engaging member into and out of the path of the stalks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. TOWNSEND. Witnesses:

A. C. T. GEIGER, GEORGE E. TOWNSEND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G."

